Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickt
That's it? That's your reason for doing it?
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The thread title does not require that I state ALL of my reasons.
Maybe this says it better than I did:
Quote:
Originally Posted by montalex
I like a choice of font, and I replaced screensavers with my own images, each with my phone number on it. As knc1 says, it feels like mine rather than a rental from Amazon.
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The emphasis behind keeping owner control of the device's behavior has much more than pure personal preference, it also includes aspects not yet (in the USA) settled in law.
Who has control of a device that is purchased rather than rented or leased is clear. A rental or lease does not transfer ownership rights (unless specially contracted as such).
A purchased device does transfer ownership rights.
The open question is:
"Does that also transfer control of the device behavior to the new owner or does control of the device behavior remain with the seller?"
I, and as far as I know, the other people behind "jail breaking" the Kindle are on the owner's side of this war with Amazon. That is, to give the owner control of its behavior.
Keep in mind Amazon's original reason for producing the Kindle and selling it at such a low price;
It was (and still is) a market research tool.
(You can find that described in the "Legal" documentation that comes with the firmware series 2 devices and newer models.)
Take this example:
You are the owner/operator of a brick and mortar bookstore.
You put what you think will be most popular with passer's by in the window to attract buyers.
But you have no way to tell exactly what that population that passes your store is really interested in.
Obviously, if you could hit everyone's most wanted publications, your sales would be at a maximum for that population.
So the Kindle was designed to gather and report back various aspects of the user's preference.
To keep that information most relevant, they retain the right to control the device's behavior (forced installing of changed firmware without the owner's consent).
I don't like a major corporation looking over my shoulder at how I use a device that does "hidden" data collection of my use of the device which is now mine by right of purchase.
Not any more than I like Amazon/Lab126/Jeff B. subscribing to every post I make at this site.
But I don't have a way to control that (no access to the site software).
Hey, you asked for it, there it is.